If you need some extra cushion (or help staying centered) during your practice, the Lululemon Take Form Yoga Mat has your back.

Scouting Report: If you need some extra cushion (or help staying centered) during your practice, the Lululemon Take Form 5mm Yoga Mat has your back.

Ever since my first yoga class some 15 years ago, I’ve always had problems with what yoga instructors refer to as “sensitive knees.” I can downward dog and warrior it up all day long, but as soon as it’s time to transition to cat-cow, or worse, a low lunge, my knees begin aching and I need to come out of the pose. I’ve tried layering multiple yoga mats on top of each other (annoying!) and folding blankets and towels across the center (cumbersome!) but this year, I decided it was finally time to switch to a thicker, higher quality mat.

I was initially interested in the Lululemon Take Form Yoga Mat because it’s 5mm thick, extra cushy, and I believed it would allow me to practice without having to MacGyver any additional “sensitive knee” solutions. I was right—the mat is crazy comfortable and I am now low lunging with the best of them.

What I didn’t expect to love so much about this mat was the (according to Lululemon’s website) “3D-zoned cushioning” and “innovative texture that helps you focus.” A textured yoga mat with 3D cushioning that supposedly helps you focus? Frankly, I had my doubts.

Lululemon Take Form Yoga Mat

As it turns out, these claims actually weren’t nonsense— the Take Form Yoga Mat was actually created with Lululemon’s Whitespace R&D Lab. That “innovative design”? It was engineered with insights collected through lab research exploring the cues yogis of all levels use to navigate their practice and the challenges they face related to alignment, spatial perception, and focus.

The “3D-zoned cushioning” refers to circular zones on the mat that were mapped out and tested to guide optimal body positioning across poses that yogis have identified as the most difficult. Note that the alignment-guiding circles can be facing in any direction; it doesn’t matter which way you’re facing on the mat so just throw it down and hop on. The mat’s “tidal flow-inspired texture” and contoured edges really do offer great grip and provide next-level stability.

While this is primarily a yoga mat, I’ve also been using it for stretching and meditation. Should I ever get over my pilates complex, I’d probably use the mat for that as well. The only thing I don’t use the Take Form Yoga Mat for is traveling. Since the mat is designed to be ultra-thick and supportive, it’s way too big and heavy to fold up into my suitcase. Lucky for me, Lululemon also makes a pretty sweet fold-up travel yoga mat that’s perfect for traveling.

Lululemon Carry Onwards Travel Yoga Mat

If I haven’t yet convinced you how amazing the Take Form Yoga Mat is, consider the fact that it's also made with rubber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council so you can om in peace, knowing that the natural rubber supporting you was sourced sustainably.

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